


Unburdening her life

by Spartan_Heidi



Category: Burden of Truth (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-20 23:01:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15544095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spartan_Heidi/pseuds/Spartan_Heidi





	Unburdening her life

Joanna ran out of the hotel room and kicked the door shut behind her listening to the slam with some satisfaction. When did her life become such a screwed up mess? When did she become powerless in her own life? Her father, the person she thought she could trust, had some town sized skeletons in his closet. Joanna sported the black eye to prove that. And to send her partner after her with promises he thought she wanted to hear and them just thinking she’d comply and chase after the two men in her life with her proverbial tail between her legs apologizing for trying to do a good thing, to be a person rather than a corporate stooge. She earned her 13 weeks’ vacation. She was taking them and doing with them what she wanted. And if she wanted to stay in the small Podunk town that raised her then she would, the law and fathers and partners be damned. 

With steely resolve in her gaze and wet cheeks, she didn’t even realize there was a Billy Crawford sized obstacle in her path until his arms came out and kept her from mowing them both down. Wiping the tears off her cheeks, he studied her for a minute. “Are you okay Hartley? Didn’t think I’d ever see the day when the town hard ass was reduced to tears…how bad does the other guy look?”  
“Ha Ha very funny Billy,” she said with a glare. “What are you doing here? Did we have a meeting? I thought we were done for the day.”  
“We were. I just saw that big city guy knock on your door and figured it was somebody from your life back home and I guess I just wanted to make sure you were okay. There are only so many steaks in this town. Can’t be using them all for your face,” he said with a smile.  
“I’ll tell you but I’d really like a drink first. Anyplace here where we can get one or twelve where I don’t run into a screaming mob with pitchforks trying to run me out of Dodge? I really can’t handle any more drama today.”  
“I really can’t believe this place is still here,” Joanna said as she dangled her legs off a rickety wood bridge that crossed a small body of water. “Remember all the trouble we used to get into in high school,” she said with a chuckle as she remembered sneaking out with her friends, drinking “borrowed” beer off the bridge, tossing the empties into the water to get rid of the evidence and couples making out all over.  
“I remember you getting stuck climbing the tree back up to your room and us having to cut it down,” Billy said with a chuckle handling her one of their purchased beers.  
“And it was all for nothing because my dad wasn’t even up there sleeping. He must’ve woken up, thought I was in there sleeping and went to the office in the middle of the night.”  
“Or somewhere else, I hate to burst your perfect family bubble but I practice small town law. That late on a weekend working the cases that come through here there’s no way that story will hold up in a court of law.”  
Joanne sighed and chugged her remaining beer. “Or public opinion. I’m starting to realize that my father and the men in my life aren’t who they say they are. Seems like both my father and my partner—both in the law and out—think that I’m at their beck and call, their every whim, and that I’ll follow everything they say. I help both of them try to succeed even if it negatively affects me and they won’t HELP me do this. Not only won’t they help but they won’t even listen to me. They think I’m crazy, throwing my life away, but I’m beginning to see that maybe this case holds the key for a more fulfilling life. I’m in, at least for the next 13 weeks at least and then we’ll see what the wind blows in,” Joanna said with a sigh as she and Billy clinked and chugged the last two beers they had brought with them. 

Standing up and standing on the rickety bridge and looking down, she caught the scared look in Billy’s eyes. Telling herself that they weren’t her eyes to look into anymore, that it was a long time ago, that it was over pretty much before it started, that they were two completely different people then, and blaming the goose bumps on her skin to the chilly night air instead of anything more real, she started removing her clothes before the rational sober Joanne tried to talk her out of it. “I remember another high school tradition. One in which I remember we partook in a lot,” she said letting her clothes flutter towards Billy. “Don’t tell me you became a chicken in your old age,” she said with a chuckle as she jumped. 

With the wind blowing her hair and squealing loudly as the water hit her naked body, she finally felt free. Free from the secrets and lies of the life she had with her father. Of a partner in work and a partner supposedly in life that used her more than valued her. That was ending, now, today. She was finally doing what she wanted to do, consequences be damned. 

Well, maybe she better take another closer look at those consequences she thought as Billy swam to her and pulled her in his arms. As she snuggled a bit into him, Sirens broke through the serene night and the glare of light from a flash light was suddenly in their eyes and before Billy and her could even register anything more, she heard a gruff laugh and “You have got to be kidding me.”

Shivering a bit into the towel, Joanna turned the heat on in Billy’s truck while he handled the mess inside the police station. Joanna was mortified, being caught like they were by the sheriff. She was a good girl and good girls didn’t get caught with the former town bad boy who was now the good town lawyer drunk, naked, in a lake on town property in the middle of the night doing sexual acts if they hadn’t been stopped. And she was mortified more with the realization that she was more upset about being stopped than being caught by the law. At least Billy’s friend had caught them and after some good natured joking was probably going to let them go with a warning. She could only imagine what they’d say back home if the small town paper broke that story.  
“So that sobered us up quick huh,” Billy said getting in the truck and turning to her with a smile. 

“Really could use a hot shower and some greasy breakfast in that order because I really don’t want to start my first vacation ever with hypothermia or pneumonia,” Joanna said with a shy smile.  
“Agreed. I really expected our swim to end on a slightly different more fulfilling note,” Billy said looking at Joanna with a smile knowing they had to talk about what almost happened and whether they wanted to go anywhere from there. Putting the truck in drive, he reached for her hand. “Your place or mine.”

TO BE CONTINUED....


End file.
